Wireless access networks such as 3G, 4G, Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks and the like contemplate multiple zones or areas through which mobile devices and other user equipment (UE) move. Various mechanisms are known to determine when wireless (3G/4G) subscribers have entered zones associated with specific services, such as sports stadiums, shopping malls, trade shows and the like.
Generally speaking, these mechanisms adapt the operation of the UEs, base stations, eNodeBs and the like to provide additional messaging indicative of UE locations. Unfortunately, these mechanisms result in a significant increase in location related messages such that enormous equipment expenditures are required to support location-based services.
For example, 3GPP has standardized an architecture (3GPP 23.271) and corresponding E-UTRAN capabilities (3GPP TS 36.305) to support Location Services (LCS). In that architecture clients may request UE location information by sending requests to a LCS Server. The LCS Server may include a Home and Visited Gateway Mobile Location Server (GMLC), and an Evolved Serving MLC (E-SMLC) depending on the deployment architecture. The LCS server may use a variety of techniques to obtain the UE location information and formulate a response to the requesting client. They include using UE received Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) information (such as provided by GPS, Galileo and GLONASS), using Network Assisted GPS, using Cell ID and Enhanced Cell ID, and/or using Downlink and/or Uplink Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA).
In a typical scenario, the 3GPP specification requires that obtained location information be delivered from the UE and/or eNB to the E-SMLC/GMLC and forwarded to the requesting client via the core network control plane. In summary, for an LTE network, the GMLC receives the request for location information from the network client, and performs client authorization and privacy checks. The GMLC sends the location request, via the MME, to the E-SMLC. The E-SMLC interacts with the UE and/or eNB to obtain location information. The response is then returned to the GMLC via the MME. The GMLCS then sends a response to the requesting network client.
An alternative method for reporting of location information is provided by Open Mobile Alliance, OMA AD SUPL: “Secure User Plane Location Architecture” standards. Here user plane bearers are used for transferring location related messages between a required UE SUPL client and a network server.
All of these solutions suffer from various problems that make them poor choices to serve requests from thousands of mobile devices in crowded environments.